


‘tis the Season

by peoniesinparis



Category: Bridgerton (TV), Bridgerton Series - Julia Quinn
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-11
Updated: 2021-02-01
Packaged: 2021-03-17 07:13:33
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,150
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29096328
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/peoniesinparis/pseuds/peoniesinparis
Summary: Some marry for money. Some marry for titles. And the lucky few marry for love.From the eyes of the ton, who watch as Daphne and Simon fall in love over the course of the Season.
Relationships: Daphne Bridgerton/Simon Basset
Kudos: 26





	1. what her rival saw

It was true Daphne Bridgerton was one of the most beautiful girls of the Season. She was fair and lovely with blue eyes and delicate features, even if her hair was not a fashionable color. She was one of the famous Bridgerton siblings and her three older brothers were popular, always in great demand at many a ball and each was a desirable catch on the marriage mart. If that were not enough, she had good breeding, she was the daughter of a Viscount. And her fortune, while not the largest, was more than adequate to make her a popular debutante. And entering her first Season, Cressida Cowper knew that she had a formidable rival for suitors on the marriage mart. After all, it had been her mother who said to Lady Bridgerton, “My darling might have the fortune, but it is your Daphne who has the face.”

Despite all of her beauty, Cressida took secret pleasure when Daphne’s overbearing and overprotective brother, Lord Bridgerton, scared off all but the most detestable of her suitors. It appeared that even beauty could not outshine boorish and ill behavior by one’s guardian. Daphne’s drawing-room remained decidedly empty whilst other ladies enjoyed far more flowers and gifts. And though Cressida had not managed to attract a suitor of suitable enough rank or wealth, she felt superior to at least have suitors, unlike her chief rival.

And she gloated, most unbecomingly, to her fellow debutantes of Daphne’s misfortune, making sure that Daphne was nearby to hear the remarks and reveling in her fall from grace. Even the gossip rags and papers talked of how unfortunate her circumstances were which only added insult to injury, after once being hailed as the diamond of the Season.

That feeling of superiority lasted until she noticed Daphne entering the dance floor on the arm of the most coveted man of the Season. The moment the Duke of Hastings, elusive as can be, arrived in town and took an interest in the eldest Miss Bridgerton by dancing not once but twice with her was the same moment that Cressida realized that Daphne Bridgerton was far more a formidable adversary than expected. Cressida was not one to be deterred though and strove to catch the eye of the Duke and take her rival’s suitor right from under her nose.

But her scheme was severely underwhelming and disappointing. To her everlasting dismay, which only continued to mount as the Season wore on, Cressida realized that the Duke had eyes only for Daphne and looked at no other debutante, asking only Daphne for dances and promenading with her, sending flowers to both her and her mother. And try as she might, she could not even get the Duke to engage in a simple conversation with her, instead, during balls, he stalked Daphne’s every movement, playing the role of the jealous suitor so well that it scared off both suitors for Daphne and debutantes who hoped to catch his eye. And Cressida found that it was intolerable. What did Daphne have that she lacked?

A critical look in the mirror revealed the truth. While Cressida was pretty enough, she had an abundance of golden hair and she was a statuesque young woman, she would never be called beautiful—her forehead was just too large and her features a little too pinched to be considered beautiful. And while she boasted that her dowry was the largest of this Season’s debutantes, she would never hope to be popular with the gentlemen, who were often put off by her attitude and superiority. She was not a friendly, charming girl, she was petty and cruel and preferred a smirk to a smile. And her smirk marred her features, distorting the pretty face she possessed, but Cressida did not notice.

In truth despite her fortune, she was rather ordinary by means of accomplishments.She had not been singled out and pronounced flawless by the Queen. She was not a great artist nor exceptional on the pianoforte. She could not sing and her language skills were less than impressive. But what Cressida possessed was the knowledge that she knew herself to be superior to most of her adversaries and she did not feel the need to be modest. She firmly believed that her match would be made with someone far more glorious than a mere Duke. And it was then that Prince Frederich arrived to make her dreams come true.

But he, like most others, fell for Daphne Bridgerton at first glance. But Daphne Bridgerton did not appear to be affected by his charms. And Cressida seized the opportunity to be the alternative. She thought she enraptured the Prince but as she watched Daphne converse with the Prince at an art exhibition, she wondered for the first time if Daphne’s English Rose was more compelling than her ice princess.

It would be days later when she would see Daphne enter the ballroom, dressed in white and silver appearing heaven sent, that she would realize that the Prince preferred an angel to a princess. The Prince all but abandoned her on the dance floor the moment Daphne entered and decamped for Daphne’s side immediately. And she was forced to endure how her Prince enjoyed Daphne’s company as they danced and how the ton delighted in the potential match. Queen Charlotte’s approving smile told Cressida that she would not win the battle unless Daphne decided to forfeit.

But Daphne did not seem inclined to forfeit despite the fact that her eye caught the Duke’s more often than the Prince’s. Cressida realized that for all Daphne’s smiles that she looked less happy dancing with the Prince than she did with the Duke. And for the life of her, Cressida Cowper could not imagine why Daphne would be so very taken with the Duke when there was a Prince to catch—except for one reason. As Cressida watched her rival dance with the Prince, she wondered if perhaps Daphne Bridgerton was a romantic. And for the first time, Cressida felt the stirrings of compassion for her rival. But that feeling was fleeting as Cressida watched the Prince fall in love with Daphne on the ballroom floor while her dreams melted away.


	2. what a matchmaking mama saw

Sitting in her drawing room, eyeing the flowers sent by young men who were decidedly not courting one of her daughters, Lady Portia Featherington lamented her fate. Portia Featherington’s misfortune to have born three daughters and no sons was only made worse by Lady Bridgerton’s eight children—all boys handsome and all girls beautiful.

And as luck would have it, the eldest Miss Bridgerton would come out the same Season as her daughters. It was unfair that Lady Bridgerton only had one girl to worry about and a pretty one at that. It was not to say that her daughters were unattractive creatures, they lacked the refinement and grace of other debutantes but they were pretty enough. However, no one would dare call them a Diamond of the First Water nor would they catch the eye of a Prince. They simply did not have the same allure but that did not deter Portia, who could claim to be a handsome woman and was determined to see her daughters married before the Season’s end.

The main wrinkle in her plans was a young woman of unremarkable fortune but in possession of a lovely face. When Miss Marina Thompson came to stay with the Featheringtons, Lady Featehrington thought that she was going to die. How could a girl with a mere four-figure dowry be in greater demand than her three daughters? Her girls were the daughters of a Baron, not a mere country squire. But it appeared that this was the case as she watched the girl accept gift after gift from her suitors.

It had been pleasant to be as popular as Violet Bridgerton for a change as her home overflowed with gifts and suitors for that wretched girl. But Mariana Thompson’s star burned out as quickly as it began once she realized that the girl had troubles that could scandalize the ton and remove the Featheringtons from society. Unfortunately, her girls did not reap the benefits of Marina’s descent and remained as unpopular as Miss Bridgerton, who despite being labeled the diamond of the Season, had no suitors. But as fortune would have it, the Bridgertons’ luck changed as did the Featheringtons.

When her daughters informed her Daphne caught the Duke’s eye, she did not feel the customary disappointment or envy that she thought she would feel. Instead, she felt relief. Her daughters might never be as beautiful as a Bridgerton girl but they were still pretty enough and they might not be as rich as the Cowper girl but they had dowries that no man would turn down. And truly while the Duke was the most eligible match, he was not the only match available.

And so Portia redoubled her efforts to make her daughters seen. She bought them gowns galore, brightly colored to help them stand out. She instructed them to watch learn miniatures and she promenaded them down Mayfair every day to see the men they memorized. And she accepted every event in their social calendar, making sure that her girls attended and mingled with the ton. But there was no change in her daughters’ fortunes causing Portia much distress.

It was watching the Duke and Daphne dance at one of the many balls that Portia realized what she had failed to do. While she could wrangle each girl into attendance and she could dress them beautifully, she could not hope to make them popular. And for all her hard work, her true failing was that she could not place their needs above her own like Lady Bridgerton.

She had heard the rumors flying about every drawing room in Mayfair of the detestable, despicable Lord Berbrooke and his unsavory interest in Miss Bridgerton. And no sooner had talk began, it disappeared in a cloud of scandal and Berbrooke left town so quickly that he took leave of no person before disappearing back to the country. While the rumors flying never indicated who started them, Lady Bridgerton’s secretive smile as she watched Daphne and the Duke dance told Portia all that she needed to know.

Lord knows, while she would hope for better than Lord Berbrooke, if he had expressed an interest in one of her girls, she would have encouraged the match rather than schemed to ruin it. This was of course before she knew his character, yet still, it would have been nice for one of her girls to be matched. It struck her suddenly of how terribly selfish she might be to consider matching one of her daughters with a man as reprehensible as him simply because he was a Baron. And while she did not truly think herself capable of that, she knew herself well enough to be honest that indeed she would, if it meant she had one less daughter to marry off, regardless of her daughter’s feelings on the issue. It was a both jarring and unpleasant feeling that once discovered persisted throughout the Season.

As the Season continued and other young ladies paired off as her daughters remained decidedly on the shelf, Portia found herself reading Lady Whistledown more often. She was remarkably wistful as she read the latest Whistledown announcing Daphne’s engagement and hasty announcement of marriage to the Duke of Hastings.

While it was scandalous to marry in such haste, she reminded herself that it was a love match and the two had been courting all of the Season. The Duke had eyes only for Daphne and while Daphne had dallied with the Prince, but anyone with eyes could see her heart belonged to the Duke. And thus, when the happy couple celebrated at their wedding reception, Portia could not help but raise a glass to Lady Bridgerton’s success when she caught her eye across the room. After all, who else would but a mother would understand the sacrifices and schemes that a woman would undertake to make sure her child was happy.


	3. what the queen saw

Despite being the Queen of England and having many important duties, the Season was the Queen’s favorite time of year. And Queen Charlotte needed much entertainment throughout a Season. This was a truth universally acknowledged in her household and they conspired to keep their Queen well entertained lest she decided they were of no value to her. Thus, every member of her household brought her anecdotes and made sure to keep her abreast of the Season and the compelling, or lack of compelling matches made.

In a Season, there were usually a dozen or so matches made between debutantes and suitors. A love match was practically unheard of in society. There were more practical things to consider when making a match—security, wealth, status. Love was at the very bottom of the list but Daphne Bridgerton was not one of those debutantes. The late Viscount Bridgerton and his wife had the happiest of marriages, a great love match that resulted in eight children. And for a girl like Daphne, there was to be no other match.

The Queen knew of the prolific Bridgerton family. All of the ton knew how the late Viscount and Viscountess had eight perfectly beautiful children. All of Court was a flutter when the eldest Bridgerton girl was to be presented, their first glimpse of a Bridgerton girl. The three oldest boys were already seasoned members of society but there was nary a peep about the daughters, except to say that they were all beautiful.

When Queen Charlotte took an interest in someone, she took a keen interest. And Daphne Bridgerton’s perfect curtsy and beauty caught the Queen’s eye. She signaled the girl out, hoping that her favor would create an extraordinary match—if nothing else but for her amusement. And there was no better pick of the Season than the Bridgerton girl. Who else would make an extraordinary match? A Featherington girl—what dreadful taste. That Cowper heiress—so unpleasant. No, there was no other intriguing debutante for this Season, so the Bridgerton girl was her best hope.

No, there was no other choice but Miss Bridgerton and the Queen was sure that her blessing would lead to a match that would delight and please her, in addition the girl. She eagerly looked forward to the papers which predicted Miss Bridgerton’s success. How she delighted in the news that she had chosen the Season’s diamond, yet when Miss Bridgerton did not match with a suitor immediately she felt disappointed.

Alas despite her favor, the Bridgerton girl’s success was not guaranteed and there might even be the appearance that the Bridgerton girl was not going to make a good match at all. And the Queen disliked losing—or being perceived as a loser. So she decided to take matters into her own hands. She wrote to her nephew, the Prince of Prussia, and invited him to visit her in London. She wrote that she had the most charming girl for him to meet and that he should make haste.

As she hatched her scheme, she laid the foundation with Lady Bridgerton over tea and she thought the dalliance with the Duke of Hastings would help it along nicely. She never directly engaged Miss Bridgerton, but she made sure to read all about her in the papers. The Duke of Hastings would be a great match but to marry a Prince—well that would simply be extraordinary.

Queen Charlotte schemed and plotted as she introduced her nephew to Miss Bridgerton. And while her nephew was taken with Daphne, it was clear her head was turned by a different man. So she redoubled her efforts to make her nephew see that there was only one choice. And her nephew was not indifferent to Daphne. She saw the way his eyes found Miss Bridgerton in a crowd. For all her work, Queen Charlotte was rewarded by Daphne turning her attention away from the Duke to her nephew.

She took great delight in telling anyone and everyone about the impending engagement and planning a wedding that would surely show the might and power of the crown and the woman who wore it. Until she received the next Whistledown and she saw her plans vanish in a cloud of smoke because in black and white it clearly read that the engagement announcement was between Miss Bridgerton and the Duke of Hastings.

It was not to be born. She demanded her nephew go to Miss Bridgerton and break her engagement but her nephew told her that his conversation with Miss Bridgerton had resulted in him wishing her well. How could she have such a nephew? She was not so easily swayed. Indeed, Queen Charlotte did what Queen Charlotte did best and caused a little mayhem for the couple.

It was when she had the couple in front of her begging for her assistance to allow them to marry quickly that Queen Charlotte found herself softening to them. The Duke, who ruined her best-laid plans, and the girl, who broke her nephew’s heart, were very well suited and would be a glittering match for her. And as she listened to the Duke passionately defend his affection for Miss Bridgerton, she found that not even she could keep them apart. And so Queen Charlotte lost, giving the happy couple her blessing and sending them off to marital bliss with her well wishes.

In truth with their marriage, there was no other amusement for the Queen. The matches made were rather ordinary and there remained an alarming amount of unmarried debutantes—she did laugh that Lady Cowper was heard to be saying that if not for the urgent business abroad she was sure the Prince would return to romance her daughter. The Season dwindled down to the unremarkable and ordinary so much so that even Mr. Colin Bridgerton’s engagement to Miss Mariana Thompson did nothing to arouse her interest. That was until the scandal of Miss Thompson’s ruin and suddenly, the newlywed Duke and Duchess of Hastings appeared once more.

  
At her luncheon in the garden, the Queen noticed how there seemed to be slight tension between the couple, though they covered it well. In spite of this, the Duke’s eye was always on his wife and she couldn’t stop stealing glances his way even as they mingled with others. And the look on both their faces was of great affection and love, even if they did not share it with their spouse. And she knew that whatever the issue plagued the couple, they still cared for each other deeply. And when the invitation arrived for her for the Hastings ball, she accepted without a second thought. It always entertained her to see an extraordinary match, especially when it was a love match.

**Author's Note:**

> The idea of the other characters watching the couple throughout the Season just wouldn’t escape my mind.


End file.
